The present invention relates to vacuum systems, and more particularly, to systems for cleaning up waste materials and/or recovering materials which might otherwise be considered waste, particularly in industrial uses.
Mechanisms for creating suction and/or vacuums for removing waste and/or unwanted particles in the household application are well known in the art. It is also well known, however, that the use of such devices in industrial settings presents particularly demanding requirements. For example, oftentimes it is desirable to be able to remove waste products having various sizes, shapes and compositions. In many applications, these particles can be of a nature which are dangerous to the operator such as glass particles, metal shavings or other materials which might injure or otherwise threaten the hands and/or feet of the person assigned the task of removing the waste products. Alternatively, it is oftentimes desirable to collect liquid materials for recycling or other types of reuse. Finally, oftentimes it is desirable to remove liquid waste or a combination of liquid waste and particulate waste. Shavings and cutting fluid resulting from cutting, milling, grinding or other activities in a machine shop is one such example. While the nature of the tasks varies, it is highly desirable to provide a mechanism which will recover and/or collect such materials as expeditiously as possible and without excessive noise or disruption of the surrounding environment.